Hyundai Palisade 8-Seater SUV Unveiled At 2018 LA Motor Show

Will replace the Santa Fe as Hyundai’s flagship model Loaded to the gills with features like...

Will replace the Santa Fe as Hyundai’s flagship model

Loaded to the gills with features like 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster and CR-V diesel-like button-based gearshifter.

For now, it is powered by a 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine but it could get a diesel engine in the future.

Will go on sale in the US in mid-2019 but no word on India launch yet.

As scheduled, Hyundai has unveiled its new flagship unibody SUV, the 2020 Palisade, at the LA Motor Show. Hyundai claims the 8-seater SUV is based on a new platform and is going to be produced at its Ulsan facility in South Korea. Let’s see what this BIG SUV from Hyundai has to offer.

The Palisade gets what is clearly the boldest and biggest cascading grille on a Hyundai till now. This is flanked by dual lighting units which get a set of conjoined vertical LED daytime running lamps. View from the side shows the large, flared arches which house 20-inch alloy wheels and a wide rear windscreen for an increased sense of space. At the end, it gets a stubby tailgate flanked by vertical LED taillights, and fog lamps along with a faux skid plate and dual exhaust tips.

On the inside, it does one up on the Santa Fe not only in terms of the seating but also in terms of features. The seats are draped with quilted Nappa leather and woodgrain trim around the dashboard. Entering the third row should be convenient thanks to the one-touch seat forward and tumble operation for the second row which gets ventilation function as well. The third row also gets power folding and reclining function for storage and comfort.

Equipment on offer includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an audio system with Harman’s audio technology like QuantumLogic and Clari-Fi technology, a 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster and a heads-up display (HUD). Another usable feature includes Honda CR-V diesel-like shift-by-wire tech.

Hyundai is calling it a family SUV and it means it too, with seven USB ports across all three rows, a conversation mirror for the driver and a whopping 16 cup holders. Roof-mounted vents are also available for airing up all three rows of the SUV. A dual sunroof setup with powered tailgate further adds to the convenience.

Powering all of that mass is a 3.8-litre Atkinson cycle V6 which puts out 292PS@6000rpm and 355Nm of peak torque@5000rpm. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to either two or four wheels through an AWD system. While there’s no word on an additional powertrain, there could be the introduction of a diesel, most probably from the Santa Fe. This is a 2.0-litre diesel motor which is available in two states of power: 150PS/185PS and 400Nm of torque.

There’s no word yet on the India launch of the Hyundai Palisade but if it does it will be positioned above the upcoming Santa Fe . Would you like this big an SUV from Hyundai to come to our shores? Let us know your views in the comment section below.